Optus re-opens startup funding applications

blog Just wanted to post a brief note that Optus has opened the second round of applications for Australian IT startups to attract seed funding under its Innov8 program. The telco writes on its Innov8 blog:

“We were privileged to see some of Australia’s best startups apply to our inaugural Seed Program in July last year. Last round we received some 80 plus applications from all over the country whereby we saw 10 present at our Pitch Day. In November, we were proud to announce our investments in two of these companies, Venuemob and 121cast. Now that the dust has settled, we’re opening up applications again – we’re calling it our ‘Season 2′.

We’ve kept the Program pretty much the same as last time with only slight changes with the application process … Applications open today and close Monday 9pm AEST February 4, 2013 – we’ll be holding a few information sessions for startups next week to outline how the Program works as well as to answer any questions.”

You can read more about the two local startups who attracted funding under the telco’s previous funding round in our article at the time here. Both startups, 121cast and Venuemob, were also alumni of the Melbourne Accelerator Program, an initiative of the Melbourne School of Engineering at the University of Melbourne which seeks to back startups being build by students, staff and alumni of the school.

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